MISSOULA — Teams around the Big Sky Conference are gearing up for fall camp as early as right now, but the Montana Grizzlies have a little bit of a wait before they get their campaign started for 2025.
Last year was a disappointing outcome for the Grizzlies, who finished 9-5 with a second-round playoff exit one year after they advanced to the FCS national championship game.
But it's a new-look Griz team in 2025, with many new faces and question marks entering the fall.
"I'm super excited for it because the thing about new things is you never know how it's going to be and that's what I'm super excited about," senior defensive lineman Kellen Detrick said during the recent Big Sky Kickoff event in Spokane, Wash. "You just don't know. And I think it's going to be awesome. I'm super excited for it. We're just meshing very well right now."
Expectations remain high for the Griz, as they were picked second by the media and third by the coaches in the preseason polls.
"Like coach (Bobby) Hauck always says, we have a target on our back. Whenever we play anyone in our stadium, we're going to get their best game," senior offensive lineman Dillon Botner said. "You got to be ready for anything and be on your A-game, and we'll rise to the challenge no matter who's wearing that jersey."
Offensively, questions at quarterback will dominate camp until a starter is named. Redshirt sophomore Keali'i Ah Yat returns with the most in-game reps for the Grizzlies after splitting time with Logan Fife last season.
Coupled with some returning offensive linemen like Botner and All-America running back Eli Gillman, there are pieces in place as the rest of the offense solidifies.
Defense is where even more unknowns are present, as the Grizzlies have no returning starters on that side of the ball — though some on the two-deep are back — while others come from heavy playing time at other schools.
"Everybody in Division I football has a lot of new faces and I think that's getting to be the art of success in any given season, is how well you can put your team together, and then how well through September and into October you can bring your team together and get them all marching to the same beat," Hauck said.
Montana hit the transfer portal hard to round out the roster and fill holes.
"We lost seniors last year and we had a lot of holes to fill, but our coaches, they do a great job," Botner said. "And they do a good job of weeding out kids when they're bringing them in from the transfer portal and recruiting them. They're not going to bring in kids that aren't Montana tough and can't, you know, excel and be a part of our program."
The schedule will also be an interesting storyline, with UM kicking off the season Sept. 6 against Division II Central Washington almost two weeks after some other teams play in Week 0. The Griz will then play 12 consecutive weekends, similar to what they did in 2008. Montana's bye week comes in Week 1, and eight of its 12 contests are within Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
The Griz will open fall camp on Aug. 7, and with the Big Sky Kickoff in the books, the leadup to football season has officially begun.
"We just need to come in with the Griz mentality that we have and just work," Detrick said. "Empty the tank every day that we have and get 1% better every day. Just get better and when we leave the field, no regrets. Whether it's practice or game, just give it everything you got."
